English Language

English Grammar and Usage

2,711 Questions

English grammar and usage questions test fundamental sentence structure, correct verb forms, and accurate syntax. Topics include identifying grammatical errors, filling blanks with appropriate verbs, and changing narration. These are essential for the English language sections of competitive exams.

Verb FormsSentence CorrectionTense IdentificationNarration ChangeRelative PronounsSyntactic Productivity

English Grammar and Usage Questions

Multiple choice introduction to clauses sentences english

Identify the relative clause in the given sentence.
The man who goes for a walk every morning is my neighbour.

  1. who goes for a walk

  2. is my neighbor

  3. the man who goes

  4. every morning
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

A relative clause is one that describes the noun that precedes it in the main part of the sentence. Here the clause "who...goes for a walk" describes the man. Hence Option A is correct. The rest of the options do not adhere to the goal, hence incorrect. 

Multiple choice introduction to clauses sentences english

Identify the relative clause in the statement:
This is the boy who works at the cafe.

  1. who works at the cafe

  2. the boy who

  3. at the cafe

  4. the boy who works at the cafe
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

A relative clause is one that describes the noun that precedes it in the main part of the sentence. Here the clause "who...cafe" describes the boy. Hence Option B is correct. The rest of the options do not adhere to the goal, hence incorrect. 

Multiple choice introduction to clauses sentences english

Identify the relative clause in the statement:
He bought a car, which runs fast.

  1. a car

  2. which runs fast

  3. he bought

  4. he bought a car which
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

A relative clause describes the noun that precedes it, in the main part of the sentence. Here "which runs fast" describes "car", hence Option B is correct. The rest of the options do not adhere to the goal, hence incorrect. 

Multiple choice introduction to clauses sentences english

Identify the relative clause in the following statement:
A novelist is a person who writes novels.

  1. A novelist

  2. who writes novels

  3. a person

  4. is a person who
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

A relative clause describes the noun that precedes it, in the main part of the sentence. Here "who writes novels" describes "novelist", hence Option B is correct. The rest of the options do not adhere to the goal, hence incorrect. 

Multiple choice introduction to clauses sentences english

Identify the relative clause in the following sentence:
She loves books that have happy endings.

  1. she loves

  2. books that have

  3. that have happy endings

  4. the books
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

A relative clause is one that describes the noun that precedes it in the main part of the sentence. Here the clause "that have happy endings" describes the books. Hence Option B is correct. The rest of the options do not adhere to the goal, hence incorrect. 

Multiple choice introduction to clauses sentences english

Choose the type of clause underlined in the following sentence:
My boss, who is very friendly, lives in Manchester.

  1. Noun clause

  2. Adverb clause of frequency

  3. Adverb clause of time

  4. Relative clause
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Relative clauses are joined to the main clauses by relative pronouns like "who" and give extra information about the noun, here "boss". Hence, Option D is correct. The rest of the options do not adhere to the rule, hence, incorrect. 

Multiple choice introduction to clauses sentences english

Choose the part that contains a defining relative clause:
The pants which I bought from Delhi don't fit me anymore.

  1. which I bought from Delhi

  2. don't fit me anymore

  3. The pants which I bought

  4. The pants don't fit me anymore
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

A defining relative clause gives essential information about someone or something, whereas a non-defining relative clause gives extra or unrelated information about someone/something.
The clause "which I bought from Delhi" is a relative clause that defines the noun "pants" by pointing out which pants. Hence it is the defining clause and option A is correct.
Option B is incorrect because this forms the predicate of the sentence (that begins with the main verb "don't fit) whereas the relative clause does not contain the main verb.
Option C is incorrect because it isn't a relative clause, it contains the subject "The pants" and a part of the relative clause "which I bought".
Option D is incorrect because this is a main clause, excluding the relative clause.

Multiple choice introduction to clauses sentences english

Choose the non-finite clause in the given sentence:
I am so excited to be here.

  1. I am so excited

  2. to be here

  3. excited to be here

  4. No option
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

A finite clause contains a verb that shows tense whereas a non-finite clause contains a verb that does not show tense. The latter is often seen in subordinate clauses, where the tense is figured out through the main clause.

Option B contains an infinitive phrase "to be", which is a verb form, it does not show any tense, hence it is a non-finite clause and option B is correct.
Option A shows a tense: "am" is a verb in the present tense. Hence it isn't a non-finite clause and option A is incorrect.
Option C option does not qualify as a clause, hence it is incorrect.
Option D is incorrect because the answer lies in B.

Multiple choice introduction to clauses sentences english

He gave away the beautiful porcelain that his uncle had graciously given him when he was in a sullen mood.

Choose the option that best corrects the sentence.

  1. When he was in a sullen mood, he gave away the beautiful porcelain that his uncle had graciously given him.

  2. He gave away the beautiful porcelain, when he was in a sullen mood, that his uncle had graciously given him.

  3. The beautiful porcelain that his uncle had graciously given him, he gave away when he was in a sullen mood.

  4. NO CHANGE
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Since the sullen mood is an adverb for the action of giving away, the clause "when...mood" should be placed nearest to "he gave away..." without changing the meaning. Hence Option A is correct. The rest of the options do not place the qualifying clauses together, hence incorrect. 

Multiple choice introduction to clauses sentences english

James was enjoying a quiet afternoon when Amy and Ted visited him playing his piano.

Choose the option that best corrects the sentence.

  1. James was playing his piano when Amy and Ted visited him enjoying a quiet afternoon.

  2. When Amy and Ted visited him playing his piano, James was enjoying a quiet afternoon.

  3. James was enjoying a quiet afternoon playing his piano, when Amy and Ted visited him.

  4. NO CHANGE
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Since "playing his piano" is qualified by "when...visited him", these should be placed close together. Hence, option C is correct. The rest of the options do not place the qualifying clauses together, hence these are incorrect. 

Multiple choice introduction to clauses sentences english

Choose the option that best corrects the sentence:

The acrobat did not perform the stunts which had been taught him to his satisfaction.

  1. NO CHANGE

  2. The acrobat did not perform the stunts, which had been taught to him, to his satisfaction.

  3. The acrobat did not to his satisfaction perform the stunts which had been taught to him.

  4. To his satisfaction, the acrobat did not perform the stunts which had been taught him.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The sentence as such requires no change, except the demarcation of the clauses by commas, for the word" stunts" is qualified by "which ...him" and placed together. Hence, Option B is correct. The rest of the options do not completely adhere to the goal, hence incorrect. 

Multiple choice introduction to clauses sentences english

Daniel's lost keys were found in a drawer in the desk on which the dog biscuits lay eaten by his child.

Choose the option that best corrects the sentence.

  1. NO CHANGE

  2. Daniel's lost keys were found in a drawer by his child in the desk on which the dog biscuits lay eaten.

  3. Daniel's lost keys were found in a drawer in the desk by his child on which the dog biscuits lay eaten.

  4. Daniel's lost keys were found by his child in a drawer in the desk on which the dog biscuits lay eaten.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The clause "Daniel's...found" qualifies "his child"  and "the desk...eaten" qualifies "drawer". Hence these should be grouped together. Therefore Option D is correct. The rest of the options do not adhere to the goal, hence incorrect.

Multiple choice forms of adverb adverb english

Choose the right adverb for the following sentence:

Nikki drove ____ along the narrow road.

  1. careful

  2. with care

  3. carefully

  4. Both A and C
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

"Careful" is an adjective which makes option A incorrect. Since option A is wrong, D, too is wrong. "Care", in option B, is a noun preceded by the preposition "with". Thus, option B is incorrect as well.


Option C's "carefully" is an adverb since it modifies the verb "drove". It is, therefore, correct.

Multiple choice forms of adverb adverb english

Choose whether the following is true or false:
The underlined word is an adverb - 'He rode the bike fast.'

  1. True

  2. False
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The given statement is true. The word ‘fast’ is used both as an adjective and adverb. Both adjectives and adverbs are used for describing something, the noun, and the verb respectively. Although adverbs are commonly formed by adding ‘ly’ to the adjective, in some exceptional cases the adverbs have the same form as the adjective. ‘Fast’ is an example of this. There are a number of adjectives and adverbs that take the same form. Therefore the use of the words depends on the context of the sentence and where the words are placed. The adverbs either occur at beginning or end of the sentence; mostly after the verb since it describes the verb. In the given sentence the word ‘fast’ describes how the act of riding the bike was performed. Hence the given statement is true.

Multiple choice forms of adverb adverb english

Choose the sentence with the appropriate adjective:

  1. She did good on the test.

  2. She speaks English well.

  3. I feel well today.

  4. Well, I didn't think this would happen.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

In option A, "good" is used as an adverb. It modifies how she "did" in the test. Therefore, A is incorrect. "Well" in option D is an exclamation and not an adjective while in B, it is an adverb that modifies the verb "speaks". Thus options B and D are incorrect.


Now, well is usually used as an adverb in most sentences. However, in certain cases, "well" can be used as an adjective to modify a noun. The adjective "well" is usually used to indicate good health, which is what it does in option C. Moreover, linking verbs like feel, seem, etc. are always followed by adjectives. This is because a linking verb does not express an action, but connects the subject of the verb to additional information about the subject. In option C, "well" is an adjective that describes the subject's good health. Therefore, option C is correct.